A fringe Top 100 player in the composite rankings coming out of high school, Alabama freshman Amari Allen was not considered to be a one-and-done candidate after his first season of college basketball.
But that's exactly the position Allen finds himself in as the Crimson Tide embarks on March Madness. Allen has had a tremendous freshman season, showcasing his all-around game and versatility by averaging 11.9 points and a team-leading 7.0 rebounds per game. He's also averaged over three assists a night and is shooting 37% from three-point range.
Allen has gone from a sure multi-year player to a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft after his first season of college. The decision he makes on his future after the season will have a major impact on how Nate Oats constructs next season's roster.
Allen could find himself in a similar position to Labaron Philon, who declared for the draft a year ago as a fringe first-rounder before returning to school at the last minute. Philon has boosted his stock tremendously as a sophomore, something Allen could take note of when going through the process after the season.
In Jeremy Woo's latest mock draft for ESPN, he has Allen being selected No. 28 by the Cleveland Cavaliers and briefly discusses the dilemma facing the Tide guard.
Amari Allen's NBA Draft decision will be a huge storyline for Alabama
"The question is whether he can work his way high enough up the board to make returning to school hard to justify," Woo writes. "The latter option feels more likely at this stage, but there's also an opportunity for him to rise as teams learn more about him in the coming months."
The NCAA Tournament is the biggest stage in college basketball, and Allen will have a major opportunity to solidify - and boost - his NBA Draft stock.
But this is a deep and talented draft class. Next year's class looks weaker, and Allen could see an opportunity to make a Philon-like leap into a potential lottery pick with one more year at Alabama.
It's anybody's guess right now what Alabama's roster will look like next season. Philon seems a near certainty to go pro. Latrell Wrightsell, Houston Mallette, and Noah Williamson will be out of eligibility. Outside of those four, who else decides to potentially test the NBA Draft waters/the Transfer Portal is anybody's guess. There will be surprises, as there is every offseason.
With a Top 10 recruiting class en route even without Caleb Holt, if Oats can bring back players like Aden Holloway, Aiden Sherrell, and then Allen, Alabama will have a major head start on building one of the top rosters in the country for next season.